Internship Resources

Creating Your Own Internship
It’s possible that the internship you want does not exist. For example, you may want to intern at specific organization near your hometown, but they do not have an established internship program. Sometimes employers actually want to hire interns, but for whatever reason, don’t have an established program. In this case, you may want to explore the possibility of creating your own internship. While doing so takes resourcefulness on your part, Stanford students have been particularly successful at it and have found the rewards well worth their time and effort. Not only will you be creating a position which meets your individual needs, but you will also be practicing the job hunting skills that will be needed later when you seek full-time employment.

The following information outlines the steps involved in developing your own internship or summer job. In addition, you may want to schedule an appointment with a career counselor to guide you through the process.

Step 1: Assess what you are looking for in an internship
Clarify your interests and objectives in participating in an internship.
• What do you hope to gain from the experience?
• What type(s) of work do you want to do?
• Where do you want to do it (location and type of organization)?
• What are your requirements regarding compensation? Time commitment?

Identify your abilities (writing, research, analytical skills, etc.), academic preparation, previous work and volunteer experiences, hobbies, and extracurricular activities. This is what you have to offer the employer. Take career assessments with a career counselor to help you clarify these skills and interests.

Step 2: Strategies
Explore options and identify prospective internship sites and contacts utilizing the
CDC’s Career Resource Center and Web resources.

• Develop a list of organizations that may be a fit for you. Directories in the Vault guides and Hoovers, as well as doing a search in Cardinal Careers by Employers can help you identify organizations in your field of interest.
• Research your organizations of choice by visiting their Web sites to learn about their mission, products/services offered, major divisions, and location. Check out their careers/jobs section to learn about what it is like to work for the organization.
• Identify specific departments/individuals to contact with your internship request. For example, it might be the University Relations Department, Marketing, or Finance department. To help you identify specific departments/individuals, contact alumni from the Stanford Career Network and inCircle. You can also use the Stanford Employer Database, to find contact information of employers who regularly recruit at Stanford. Also ask your professors, TA’s, parents, relatives, and any other acquaintances if they have contacts at the places you’d like to intern.

Step 3: Prepare a quality resume and cover letter
• Review the CDC's resume and cover letter guidelines.
• Sign up to attend a resume and cover letter workshop offered quarterly.
• Make an appointment with a career counselor for help with your draft.
• Send resume and cover letter to contacts.
• Follow up with a phone call to re-emphasize your interest and to answer any questions employers may have. This is also a good time to try to set up an appointment for an interview. If the organization is out of the area, you may suggest a phone interview.

Step 4: Prepare for an interview
• Review the CDC's interview preparation guide.
• Sign up to attend one of the interviewing workshops offered quarterly.
• Set up a mock interview with a career counselor.
• Review information on the prospective organization (Web site, etc.).
• Design a “job description” for yourself, if one has not been provided. Think about the kinds of projects you would like to work on that would be of use to the department/company. Demonstrate the value you will bring to the organization.

Step 5: Follow up procedures
• Send a thank you letter.
• Respond to all offers, even those you do not plan to accept.
• Share your experience with CDC staff. We appreciate hearing about your accomplishments and this feedback enables us to better advise students in the future.